


Little Shop of First Meetings

by shisuicune



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Non-Volleyball AU, One Shot, Shounen ai, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 01:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5608567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shisuicune/pseuds/shisuicune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma gets dragged along to one Kuroo’s coffee dates, as the older boy insists that he shouldn’t stay cooped up at home all day. Instead of third-wheeling, he meets an overly-friendly barista to pass the time with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Shop of First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Haikyuu!! fic, so please be gentle! I'd really appreciate any feedback :P

The bells dangling from the shop door brushed against the other with a melodious jangle as two high school boys entered, the taller of the two having to hold the door open for his technologically-preoccupied friend, his large, round eyes perpetually glued to the small screen of his cellphone. Kuroo watched him trudge by with silent amusement, letting the door swing close behind them with a scoff.

“You know, one of these days you’re gonna walk right into a pole or a wall or something ad I’ll be too busy laughing my ass off to come to your rescue.”

“You wouldn’t let that happen to me,” the smaller teen retorted without missing a beat.

“Oho? Think you’ve got me wrapped around your finger, huh?” Kuroo chortled, giving his friend’s hair a playful tousle. “Well, maybe I’d help you out. I _probably_ would. But it’d still be funny as hell!”

Kenma stared ahead at his phone, too absorbed in the game and far from the mood for banter. He was still sullen from the dreary weather, the crisp winter chill lingering outside. It was Kuroo’s grand idea that the younger boy needed fresh air, practically dragging him out the front door of his house. Had his friend not insisted on toting him along to what was ambiguously a date, he’d be perfectly nestled at home right now with one of his video game consoles. More than anything, Kenma simply disliked being out in public more than absolutely necessary. He felt far too exposed.

Whether the other boy was actually distressed by Kenma’s hermit tendencies or if he was genuinely nervous enough about his “date” to request having his closest friend nearby, Kenma wasn’t entirely sure. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

Kuroo scanned the coffee shop’s interior, scouring all around the quaint little place for a familiar face. His eyes lit up and a grin split across his face when his gaze landed on the one he searched for, the bespectacled blonde seated alone near the back.

“He came!” Kuroo declared with horribly masked excitement.

“You doubted he’d show up?” came Kenma’s dry remark.

Kuroo let the comment slide, instead hastily straightening his shirt and combing a few fingers through his spiky black hair.

“Well, how do I look?”

“Good.”

“ _You didn’t even look at me!_ ”

Kenma lowered his game in exasperation.

“Do I really have to be here for this?”

“Yes,” Kuroo replied, attempting to pat down a particularly unruly patch of hair. Finally giving up, he turned to face Kenma with a broad, toothy smile. “Shall we?”

Tsukishima glanced up with his sharp, inquisitive expression as they approached, furrowing his brows in irritation when Kuroo greeted him with a resounding “ _Tsukki!_ ”

“Don’t call me that,” he grumbled with forced stoicism.

Kuroo’s smile only seemed to widen more at the scolding, a playful glint flashing in his eyes. He truly got a kick from getting under the younger boy’s skin, an almost antagonistic thrill. Tsukishima noticed his obvious delight and raised a brow.

“ _What?_ ”

“Nothing!” Kuroo chortled. He stepped aside to reveal his friend, who had made himself a shadow at Kuroo’s heels. “In case you don’t remember each other, this is my neighbor, Kenma.”

Kenma scooted ever so slightly into the seated boy’s view, phone stuffed in his pocket for the time. Tsukishima let is annoyance fade from his face, regarding the other boy politely.

“Oh, hey. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

An awkward silence fell over the trio for a long moment, expecting Kenma to say more. Kenma fidgeted in place, scrambling through his thoughts for something to say. He wanted nothing more than to resume hiding behind his friend. Kuroo noticed his discomfort, understanding his silence, and pulled the attention back to him.

“So Tsukki,” he began slyly. “What do you say we get this study session going?”

The younger teen’s mouth opened to protest the nickname but closed with a conceding sigh.

“Fine,” Tsukishima mumbled.

Kuroo plopped down across from the blonde, a little too eagerly Kenma noticed, and leaned forward to rest his chin on one hand.

Kenma saw his opportunity and took it, quietly stalking off to another circular table away from their conversation, enough so he couldn’t eavesdrop. It was as much a kindness to them as to himself, as he doubted he could stomach hearing any more of Kuroo’s hopeless flirting.

He suddenly felt conspicuous, a sick feeling of exposure settling over as he sat all alone in the midst of the bustling café. All around him, others sat in pairs or groups, making idle chat.

Kenma whipped out his phone at once, in dire need of a distraction from his surroundings. He tapped his game open, a mini Pac-Man app, and began playing straight away, escaping into the concentrative mindset. Games were his sanctuary, and Kenma thrived in the virtual world. He made himself appear small and hidden from wandering eyes, shielding himself from human contact with his phone, and his anxiety calmed.

It wasn’t so bad after a while. The coffee shop possessed an ebb and flow of people and voices, forming a soothing cloud of background noise in the air that Kenma slowly grew accustomed to. People were easy to observe in this place, as Kenma found himself watching others subtly with heightened curiosity. He eventually spotted a few others like him, occupied with their own electronics as they enacted the same focused stare into wide laptop screens or tiny hand held devices. An unspoken rule hung in the air not to disrupt them, for which Kenma was quite grateful. It was almost comforting. Should Kuroo drag him again into one of his “fresh air” excursions, Kenma decided he wouldn’t mind visiting another coffee shop.

He peeked around to where his friend and his date were seated. He caught a glimpse of them, both boys leaning toward the other with their faces huddled close and ears bright pink. Kenma faced forward again, a small smile creeping upon his lips.

_I guess things are going pretty well, then._

He unpaused his game, slumping down in his seat until he found a comfortable position, and resumed playing through maze by maze. He was so close to unlocking a new level, one he hadn’t been able to master before. He brought the phone up to his face, holding the device a mere inch from his nose as cat-eyes bore into the tiny screen with unrivaled focus. His thumbs tapped at the screen with expert precision as the little yellow orb sped through the maze, gorging itself as it hustled along. Ghosts pursued him from all sides, gaining on him as Kenma weaved all around every corner to evade his colorful enemies. He was so close to the end, nearing his last target with only a single life stringing him along, Pac-Man’s mouth wide open to swallow the last dot before it. Before he could taste victory, he was ambushed by two ghosts while the little dot whizzed away, out of his reach. A pixelated “GAME OVER” flashed across the screen. Kenma gave a defeated sigh, letting his arms fall and un-hunching his shoulders.

“Aww, you were so close!!”

Kenma nearly jolted from his seat when the outburst rang in his ear, his entire body freezing up in a state of panic. He whirled around to find a flame-haired, amber-eyed boy looming over him, his expression rife with pure, intense wonder. Kenma could only gape up at the boy, unsure of how to react.

“I thought for sure you’d get the last guy! He was just _zipping_ around and then he was _right in front_ of you,” the stranger continued, flailing his arms with wild animation as he went on. “But the blue and orange octopus guys were way too fast and _bam_ ” –he brought his hands together with a piercing clap-“they got you!”

Kenma blinked up at him. So he had been watching over his shoulder for some time. How had he not noticed? There was something about the boy’s appearance that struck him as odd, perhaps in his vibrant aura and youthful features that caused him to resemble a pixie. The large, brown apron hanging from his slim body didn’t help the look, either. The boy offered him a cheerful look.

“But still, you did way better than I could have! Your fingers were moving so fast, too!”

“Um…” Kenma mumbled, finally finding his voice as his initial distress melted away. “Sorry, but, who are you?”

“Oh, right!” the redhead exclaimed, sparkling eyes widening as if he’d just committed a grievous social blunder. He drew himself to his full height –not an impressively large stature, but prouder, nonetheless. “I’m Hinata Shouyou! I work here in the café!” He leaned in close suddenly, speaking in a hushed tone with a hand cupped next to his mouth. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but my boss says you need to order something if you’re going to sit inside like this.”

“Ah,” the seated boy replied.

It made sense, as he supposed he _did_ appear to be loitering. Hinata looked utterly apologetic, though, bowing his head forward anxiously.

“Sorry, sorry! It’s just that it’s a rule here! Plus, my boss can be so strict sometimes! He only likes to see paying customers in the shop, which is a bit mean!”

“No, it’s okay,” Kenma assured him. He sat up in his seat, preparing to rise so he could fish his wallet out of his pocket when a sudden realization came crashing down on him. _He had left with Kuroo without it._

“I just remembered, I didn’t bring any money here with me.”

Hinata tensed, mirroring the other teen’s dejection.

“No? None at all?”

“No,” Kenma replied, gathering his phone in his hand as he stood. Once on his feet, he realized his head only reached a few inches above Hinata’s. “But that’s okay. I don’t want your boss to get upset.”

A few benches were placed outside by the shop window where Kuroo would be able to see him. His friend’s date surely wouldn’t take much longer, anyways. He had no problem waiting. Hinata followed his gaze to the street outside the window.

“But it’s freezing out there!” he piped up in protest. “Besides, my boss isn’t _that_ mean! I don’t think he’d throw someone out like that!”

His demeanor transformed abruptly into a bright determination.

“Well, if you did want something, what would you get?”

Kenma shuffled his feet uncomfortably, a sinking feeling of where the conversation was headed now. He hated being fussed over.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

_I’m probably being too difficult now._

Hinata continued smiling undeterred.

“Me, neither! Kageyama says I’ll stay short forever if I drink the stuff!” he said, the last part grumbled with a pout. “What about milk teas, do you like those?”

Despite himself, Kenma nodded his admittance. Just when he thought the other boy’s smile couldn’t widen any further, Hinata absolutely beamed at him.

“Wait here then!”

He wanted to stop him, tell him he needn’t go through any trouble for his sake, but the words died in his throat before he could speak and the pixie boy had already raced off. Kenma sat himself patiently at the table again, a sick guilt twisting in his gut for troubling the barista. Hinata probably had far more pressing things to take care of rather than looking out for a broke high-schooler. He shot a furtive glance over his shoulder to where Kuroo was, hoping his friend would happen to catch his eye and automatically know that he wanted to leave this place.

Kuroo was grinning at Tsukishima, moving his mouth in what Kenma could only assume were provocative, drawled out advances on the other. Tsukishima’s face looked just as smug, playing along with their little game of seeing who could rile the other first. A book still lay open between them, if only to give the notion that they’d eventually get some actual studying done.

Kenma knew that if his friend saw the look on his face, he’d drop everything to take him home. But Kuroo looked to be enjoying himself so much…

“Here you go! A milk tea for you and me!” Hinata announced, visibly delighted by the sing-song rhythm he’d unintentionally made.

Kenma accepted the drink with both hands, a turmoil of reluctance and gratitude showing on his face.

“You didn’t have to buy me a drink…”

“It’s no problem! I get a discount here since I’m an employee,” the other boy explained with a chipper nonchalance.

He took a large gulp of his own drink, instantly having to hold in a muffled squeal while tears welled in his eyes painfully.

“Too hot, too hot!”

“A-are you okay?”

“Yeah! I just burnt my tongue a bit, that’s all!” the redhead panted out, fanning his mouth. “But it’s so good, I couldn’t wait for it to cool down. Milk teas are my favorite! What about you, have you tried yours? Do you like it?”

Kenma took a small sip, afraid of offending the other boy. It was indeed very good, a deliciously sweet medley of blended cream and black tea. Perfect for a winter day.

“It’s good,” he stated simply.

“Awesome!” Hinata cheered, clapping his palms together proudly. “I’m the one who made it! I make most of the teas, too. And sometimes I help bake things, though I’m not very good yet.”

Kenma continued to sip away at his tea while the other gabbed at him excitedly. Faintly, he wondered if Hinata was always this outgoing with people he barely knew. Perhaps he was just the type of hyperactive boy who’d unabashedly spill his thoughts to anyone who’d listen. Kenma hardly minded. He was used to letting others do all the talking, anyway.

“…So now I can jump high enough to reach the top shelf in the back room!” Hinata exclaimed, finishing off another little story.

Kenma nodded, a small hint of amusement in his features. Hinata paused in his ramblings suddenly, cocking his head to one side curiously. Kenma noticed the sudden change and frowned, eyeing the boy with concern.

“Um, is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Just…I didn’t ask, but, what’s your name?”

“Oh.” Kenma flushed, matching the other teen’s embarrassed smile. “It’s Kenma Kozume.”

“Kenma,” Hinata repeated at once, feeling how the name rolled off his tongue. How it chimed with the sound of his voice. “That’s such a cool name!”

“I guess,” the other murmured in reply, feeling more heat rise in his cheeks.

They had both long finished their milk teas, setting the empty cups aside. Hinata gradually scooted his chair closer to Kenma’s, finally leaning his small body close to the other’s.

“How did you get to be so good at video games, Kenma? Do you practice a lot?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you ever play against other people? Like in tournaments?”

“Sometimes.”

“ _So cool!_ ” Hinata lowered his gaze shyly then, the first time Kenma could say he’d seen the boy hesitate. “Kenma, do you think…maybe I can try playing?”

“On my phone, you mean?”

Hinata nodded fiercely. Kenma nodded with a smile. He flipped the screen of his phone open and clicked the same Pac-Man app from before.

“You use the arrow keys to move around,” he instructed as he handed the device over. “This one is a new game, so it should be easy enough for you.”

Hinata took the phone gingerly in his hands, eyes twinkling with excitement. He launched the game and set to displaying his skill before Kenma’s eyes. Unfortunately, his skills were rather lacking, his hand-eye coordination clumsy and slow. Kenma watched patiently as Hinata struggled through the first two levels again and again, the redhead diligently soldiering through with his tongue sticking out in concentration. He groaned when yet another “GAME OVER” popped up on the screen. He hung his head as the short end-of-game tune played tauntingly from the phone.

“You’re terrible at this,” Kenma chuckled.

“ _Hey!_ ”

“Let me.”

He retrieved the phone gently from the other’s hands and opened a new game. Hinata peered down from beside him to witness as Kenma moved through the level effortlessly. They sat shoulder to shoulder, Kenma whizzing through each level with expert ease while Hinata watched in silent awe. Even with the feel of another’s eyes on his movements, Kenma was in his forte. A few times while evading an enemy, he felt Hinata shift in anticipation beside him, the nervous bump taking him back for the briefest moment into an awareness of the coffee shop they were in. Besides those little pulls to reality, Hinata made the perfect audience; quietly impressed and encouraging without words. Both were so engulfed in the little world between them, the scrape of chairs from the table nearby went unnoticed.

“Kenma, you ready to get going?” Kuroo cut in, approaching them from behind.

Both boys’s heads snapped up as they blinked at him, Hinata in curiosity and Kenma in dull acknowledgement. The older teen glanced between the two in astonishment. He raised a brow inquisitively.

“Sorry, did I, uh, interrupt something?”

“Not really,” Kenma responded quietly.

Kuroo caught his friend subtly easing a distance between himself and the red-haired boy and the way Kenma refused to meet his eye, his astonishment breaking into a sly grin.

“I see.” He shot his friend a knowing look and winked. Kenma scowled.

“Tsukishima left already?”

It was an obvious attempt to veer the older boy’s attention from him. The spiky haired teen saw through him, giving him a smug look as he played along.

“Yeah, he just took off.”

“And everything went well?”

“Yep!”

Kenma could tell from the faint tinge in his cheeks that the date went better than he had expected. Hinata, meanwhile, looked from one neighbor to the other.

“This guy is your friend, Kenma?”

“Uh-huh.” Kenma stood, joining Kuroo at his side. He faced the pixie-faced teen tenderly. “It’s time for me to go now.”

“Aww, really?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kuroo interjected. “We could always hang out here a little bit longer. I certainly don’t have anywhere to be.”

“I’m tired. And besides, I don’t want to distract you from your work any longer, Hinata.”

Hinata’s face blanched instantly, suddenly reminded of his responsibilities.

“Y-yeah…”

As if on cue, they heard Hinata’s name barked from behind the counter.

“I better go,” the redhead muttered sheepishly. He flashed Kenma that same charming grin, a look that was beginning to seem ingrained in his boyish features. “It was nice meeting you, Kenma!”

“Nice meeting you,” Kenma repeated.

He watched the shorter teen turn to hustle off, more than likely to be reprimanded by his manager.

“Hinata.”

Hinata froze in his tracks and whipped around. Kenma hesitated, suddenly embarrassed. The other boy seemed to know what he wanted to say, letting his delight clearly show.

“Do you want to play video games again sometime?”

“Only if you want to.” He held out his cell phone shyly, unable to meet his stare. “Maybe you could come over.”

Hinata drew in a thrilled breath, snatching the phone all too eagerly and fumbling to enter his number on the device.

“We should meet again soon!”

“Y-yeah.” Kenma took back the phone, flushing at the intensity of Hinata’s gaze.

He exited the place as the Kuroo held the door for him, a large smirk splayed across his face.

“Be careful, Shorty, this one’s a real chatterbox when it comes to texting!” the taller boy called back.

“Shut up,” Kenma mumbled, bypassing shades of pink and red as he hurried out.

“Bye, Kenma!” they heard Hinata shout happily from inside the coffee house.

Kuroo trotted after Kenma, catching up with his pace. Already, his friend ambled along the street with his attention fixed once again to his phone. The blush on the younger boy’s cheeks was unmistakable, though.

“Well, he was a cutie.”

“I suppose.”

Kenma hurried along in front of his friend, fighting the urge to press his phone closer in front of him and burry his face in his hands, as that would have given everything away.


End file.
